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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ruler · file · bank · pit · lean · date · rule · lash

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bank — for money
  3. rule — government
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bank — of a river
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. file — a tool
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. file — a document
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — thin
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — in a race
  23. rule — a law
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com